Hands and boards
Suited connectors in poker
Definition
Two consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 8♠7♠ or J♥10♥.
Suited connectors rarely make the best hand without help, but they flop strong draws to flushes and straights and can win a lot when they hit. They play best in position and with deep stacks, where implied odds are high.
Hands with one gap, such as 9♣7♣, are called suited one-gappers and are slightly weaker.
Related terms
- Pocket pairTwo hole cards of the same rank, such as 7♥7♠ or A♦A♣.
- Flush drawFour cards to a flush, needing one more card of the same suit; it has nine outs.
- Open-ended straight draw (OESD)Four consecutive cards that can become a straight with a card on either end; it has eight outs.
- Implied oddsPot odds adjusted for the extra money you expect to win on later streets if you hit your hand.